Conventional traffic barricades usually are made of wood and have the disadvantage of instability due to wind and also will tend to split, chip, and otherwise deteriorate through constant usage, because the supports cut into cross members. Furthermore, if hit by a vehicle they tend to explode and can create considerable damage.
Attempts to solve some of these problems are evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,183,695, Wilcox; 4,183,317, Follick; 4,231,676, Smith, et al.; 3,802,667, Kanan; 3,917,232, Lindner; 3,059,907, Trybinski, Jr.; and 1,687,820, Acker.
Each of these patents has its drawbacks as compared with the invention of applicant in that Smith, et al. does not provide good lateral stability and has a hinged joint which, through use and wear, will become loose and in effect has two cutting edges which will tend ultimately to cause deterioration of the reflective panel.
Follick's barricade is expensive, complicated, and has various movable parts.
The barricade of Wilcox is considerably more expensive than that of applicant and also, having various movable parts, is susceptible to deterioration through use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,667, Kanan, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,232, Lindner, both have the disadvantage of moving parts which will tend to wear out in use and also suffer from lack of lateral stability.
While U.S. Pat. No. 1,687,820, Acker, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,907, Trybinski, Jr., both provide for legs slanting laterally to provide greater lateral stability, the upper portion of the leg portions of the barricade of Acker tend to chew into and deteriorate the panel through use as does the unit of Trybinski which is attached to the panel.
Applicant's traffic barricade is a cheap, stackable, readily assembled or disassembled unit which overcomes the various disadvantages of the prior art, is made of all welded construction, and may be readily mass produced, easily handled in the field and its design minimizes damage to the parts thereof through rough field usage
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a highway barricade which may be easily stored, and readily assembled or disassembled.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a traffic barricade which has good lateral stability in both axes.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparently to those skilled in the art when the following general statements and descriptions are read in the light of the appended drawings .